A NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY

4.5 stars. The only other record I own by this Norwegian band is "Blackbox" from 2017 a very solid 4 star album in my opinion. "A Night At The Library" is a live record released in 2022 but recorded live at Bergen Public Library on May 15, 2020. This was live-streamed during a lockdown over there and it's a stripped down affair with them being a four piece of drums, vocals, violin and piano. Most of the music is taken from "Blackbox" in fact six of the eleven tracks are from that most recent studio album of theirs. We get three tracks from 2014's "Twilight Cinema", one from 2010's "Songs From A Solitary Home" and a new track called "Jonah" that is my favourite on here. I've got a top five that I will focus on but I can't express to you how emotional this record is.

The lyrics are so meaningful on most of these songs and the vocalist Jon Ivar has this deep voice so rich and full of character, the perfect voice to convey these powerful words. Towards the end of the show which is an hour long he gets emotional and somewhat dramatic I believe because he knows that they have just given the performance of their lives. The water in my eyes kept rising throughout this record to point I'm saying "What's going on!". My buddy Avestin gave this 4.5 stars as well so I'm in good company folks. My top five includes the opener then four of the last five tracks making this such a perfect record to listen to, I mean all the songs are good but I love the order of the set list. The female violinist adds backing vocals which adds so much here as well.

"Lover Lower Me Down" is one of those songs where I'm asking why is this so emotional? Piano and violin early then vocals at 1 1/2 minutes as the violin steps aside making his words the focus. He speaks "See my guitar gently weep" over and over around 5 minutes in as it blends into another great song called "Black River". But lets talk about "Baseball" another moving track like the opener and I should mention that the first four of my top five are from "Blackbox". Some good contrasts here and urgent fast paced singing at times. The guy is such a rhymer. It's almost experimental around 3 1/2 minutes then a calm with female backing vocals. How about that repeated line "I got his baseball" why does that move me?

"Night Hitcher" opens with upfront drums as slicing violin joins in along with piano. I have to mention the inventive violin work here each time the singer stops. The band was on fire this night. "Before The Helmets" is again so moving and meaningful. Gosh! Those fragile vocals. I mean when he returns singing after 4 minutes I'm broken as female backing vocals help out. "Jonah" was a new track early from 2020 and this was performed in May of that year. It's the final 4 minutes or less that have me almost having to pull off the road at one point. Including some fist pumps for this man who's going to be the king of the world. He was a loner you know and I remember his rifle. When his voice rises to an emotional and powerful level that's when I'm fist pumping.

What a surprise this album was. Totally unexpected but man how happy I am to own this treasure.